Journey's End Fic
by urbanamore
Summary: Probably the only person to write a Journey's End fic ever. Little bit about  Dennis  Stanhope and  Jimmy  Raliegh from before they were both at war. Rated K because nothing of any harm in it.


"Dennis! Wait for me!" I yelled, chasing my elder brother and laughing.

We were running back to the house from the field, for we had been collecting firewood from the forest nearby for later. Mother had sent us out to fetch it, as the Raleigh's were visiting for dinner. They either came to ours or we visited them most nights, and even if the whole families did not meet up, Dennis and I would go to see Madge and Jimmy as we were terribly good friends.

"Mother! We are home!" Dennis called as we reached the back door which had been left ajar.

"Nobody has arrived yet, so just go and place the wood down by the fireplace for later Dennis, and be a dear and lay the table, Lottie." Mother called back from the kitchen where she had been preparing dinner for a fair duration of the day.

"Of course, mama!" I dashed into the kitchen and took the cutlery from the drawer, placing it neatly along the long, wooden table, setting six places; for mother, Dennis, Jimmy, Madge, their mother Rita and myself.

Of course Jimmy and Madge's father and my own were both away at war. Dennis would soon be returning to the battle front, which broke my heart for he had only been home for two and a half months. But three months was all he was permitted, and he and I both knew that he had to fight for the country and help win the war. I missed him terribly when he was away and made sure that he wrote to me at least once a week, for I needed assurance that he was coping and things were fine.

This time he had seemed reluctant to take his leave, but did so eventually. He seemed slightly less together and himself this time also, but as he stayed at home for longer he relaxed more and more, the memories and horror of war no doubt sinking away from him.

I heard a knock at the door and rushed immediately to open it.

"Watch it!" Dennis scolded as I flew past him.

"You're here!" I squealed, thrusting my arms around Jimmy and pulling him into a hug.

He turned quite red and when I released him and said, "How frightfully nice to see you again! It has been quite a while!"

"It's been two days, Jim." Madge laughed, grinning at me before turning to embrace Dennis.

I tried not to grin as she did so but could not help it, looking at Jimmy as I did.

"What are you grinning at, eh?" Dennis asked, shaking his head but laughing, ruffling my hair.

"Mother has made some tremendous rabbit pie for dinner!" I announced.

"Oh, how jolly delightful!" Jimmy said.

"And it will not be ready for at least another hour!" a yell from the kitchen was heard, "But Rita, come and join me for a lovely natter!"

Before Jimmy or I could utter a word Dennis announced, "I have to speak to Madge about something important. We are going to go for a walk. Tell mother we will be back before dinner, alright?"

He looked at me, a slight something traceable in his eyes. I trusted my brother to stick to his word and so agreed, telling mother on the way out to the garden through the kitchen.

Jimmy and I walked to the bottom of the garden which was a fair way from the house, as we lived right out in the countryside and had a large area of land. Our garden connected to fields and woodland and forest, so the back door was the path used by us mostly.

I sat down on the grass; the temperature still warm so I was not in need of a cardigan. Jimmy sat opposite me, smiling, though he looked unsure of something.

"Is anything the matter, Jimmy?" I asked.

"No, it is not. Nothing at all," he smiled at me, "I must say you look rather amiable today, Lottie."

"Thank you, Jimmy." I said, grinning at him.

He turned slightly red and spoke again, "Now, I...I have something that I wish to tell you. I...I think...the time..."

"Oh Jimmy, spit it out." I laughed.

"I think, what I am trying to say, is this. You are seventeen. I am almost eighteen. It is almost time for me to leave school and...this is not formal in any way, but...I like you, Lottie. I like you a lot."

Before he could say anything more and turn any redder, I reached over and took his hand, smiling at him.

"I like you a lot too. A frightful lot."

He grinned, "Well that's...that's jolly pleasant!"

I resisted the urge to laugh, "It is indeed. Now Jimmy," I produced a small book from my pocket, "I am pretty sure it is way past due time for our next reading session."

As I was a girl, I had only had the chance to attend school from the ages of nine until fourteen, and as we were not a ridiculously high class family, I could not continue attending. I had always found school thrilling, and had been rather dismayed when I had been forced to leave. Jimmy still attended school as he was not eighteen yet, and was rather a good reader, and I enjoyed hearing the stories of which he would read in class.

I lay down on the grass while Jimmy sat up with the book in one hand, his other playing with my hair absentmindedly. He read to me in his beautiful reading voice until mother called us in for dinner.

Madge and Dennis both looked particularly happy when they reached the table, thankfully back in time, and as did Jimmy and I, I could quite easily guess. I knew the reason for our own happiness, and I thought I could probably guess the reason for Dennis and Madge's, especially from the hints that he had been dropping to me earlier in the day.

"Well I don't know why you are all so jolly, but I have a feeling it is not my rabbit pie!" Mother said, laughing.

"The rabbit pie is frightfully wonderful, Mrs Stanhope." Jimmy said, to which my mother's smile spread wide.

"Yes mama, it is a nice piece of rabbit." Dennis commented.

"I am glad you think so." She nodded.

Once dinner had been finished and the plates and cutlery and been cleared away, the Raleigh's were about to leave.

"Do not worry, mama, I will see them out." I said, smiling.

"I will too, Lottie, I think." Dennis said, smiling back at me.

"Well I have some leftover rabbit which I need to prepare, so I will hurry back home and you two make your way back sometime soon, alright?" Rita said to Madge and Jimmy.

"Of course, mother." Jimmy said, Madge nodding in agreement.

"I will walk you home." Dennis said to Madge, the two walking quite far in front of us.

As it was getting quite late the sky was getting dusky, and it was harder to see along the path which lead back to the Raleigh household.

"You do not have to walk all the way back with me." Jimmy said.

"I want to." I replied, smiling.

At once I shivered as a cold breeze hit me and Jimmy almost simultaneously took off his jacket and placed it around my shoulders, taking my hand in the process.

"Would it be okay with you if I came round early tomorrow morning? I thought maybe we could spend the morning together before I have a game of rugger in the afternoon with Dennis and a few chaps from school."

"That sounds lovely."

As we reached the bridge that needed to be crossed to reach the path that lead to the Raleighs' house, Jimmy stopped. Dennis and Madge could be seen disappearing down the path, and Mrs Raleigh was probably already inside.

"I..." Jimmy started, but he stopped again.

I looked into his eyes the best I could in the dark and smiled. His face drew slowly nearer to mine and at night, in the summer, under the stars, our lips met and lingered for a second before breaking apart.

I looked at him again, a smile spread wide over my face and as he spotted Dennis coming back this way, he waved at me and quickly ran off over the bridge and towards his house.

Dennis crossed back over the bridge and we started to walk back towards our own house. "Were my eyes deceiving me, or were you and Jimmy...kissing...just then?"

"No Dennis, your eyes were not deceiving you." I grinned.


End file.
